#AM_Equality Tipsheet: November 27, 2017

“HATE IN AMERICA IS ON THE RISE” — MORNING MUST READ FROM WAPO: In 2016, 6,121 hate crime incidents were reported — a five percent increase from the previous year. And nearly 20 percent of the crimes were based on sexual orientation or gender identity bias.  “It’s important that the United States be able to tackle this growing problem with the best data it can gather. The FBI’s statistics on hate crimes, while the best we have, are also incomplete — partly because it’s up to state and local police departments to decide whether to provide the federal government with their data. What’s more, a study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics suggests that many hate-crime victims never report the offense,” writes The Post’s editorial board. “Police departments should work to provide the federal government with more complete data. But taking this rise in hate seriously also requires that law enforcement officials cultivate trust with the communities they serve. Victims need to know they will be treated with respect if they come forward — especially in the current political environment, where many may be particularly fearful.” More from The Washington Post.

• The FBI hate crime statistics also highlight the ongoing epidemic of anti-LGBTQ violence. Of the total hate crimes reported last year, 1,076 were based on sexual orientation bias and 124 were based on gender identity bias — a two percent and nine percent increase, respectively. Of the incidents motivated by gender identity, 105 targeted transgender people, an increase of 44 percent from 2015. More from HRC.

NEW REPORT — NYPD STILL NOT ADEQUATELY TRAINED ON TRANS ISSUES: While a report in 2012 provided suggestions to increase trans competency, a new assessment found that only six of 77 precincts received mandatory training to better serve the transgender community. More from The New York Times.

TOMORROW IS #GIVING TUESDAY HRC & WEST ELM PARTNER ON ‘LOVE IS LOVE’ EFFORT TO SUPPORT LGBTQ EQUALITY: HRC is proud to join forces with West Elm to launch a special “Love is Love” effort on #GivingTuesday, a global day that encourages giving back to your community. To honor the day, West Elm is committing 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of items in its “Love is Love” line, available online and in stores. More from HRC.

.@HRC’s #LoveisLove collection is back! And for #GivingTuesday, @WestElm is spreading the love across a Love is Love mug, trinket dish, candle, dinnerware and ornament. t.co/QmJWayNyoF

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) November 21, 2017

MUST WATCH MONDAY: NPR interviews four transgender people — including HRC’s Laya Monarez — who dispel rumors and misconceptions about being transgender, share their lives and talk about the discrimination and violence too often faced by the community. More from NPR.

NATIONAL LGBT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE UPDATES NAME, MISSION: “We’ve always served the full LGBT community, but now our name reflects that, and we continue on a journey to be as inclusive and as forward thinking as possible,” Jonathan Lovitz, NGLCC’s senior vice president, told Metro Weekly.

THIS WEEK IN ‘HUH?’: MassResistance, a Southern Poverty Law Center-certified anti-LGBTQ hate group, opened a recent conference with an… um… let’s say “unexpectedly” colorful opening act. Waving wing-like rainbow flags – yes, rainbow flags, a performer executed a lengthy  interpretive dance that likely befuddled attendees, who had gathered to hear the group’s ugly anti-LGBTQ agenda. Trust us, this is not to be missed. More from Advocate.

NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH — NEW VIDEO FROM HRC HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF LGBTQ FOSTER AND ADOPTIVE PARENTS: “A lot of these children are sleeping on the streets, witnessing abuse or are victims of abuse themselves. If we can just provide safe places, I think our future would be a little brighter,” says foster and adoptive parent Jo Jakeway on the importance of providing loving homes to vulnerable youth. Watch the full video here.

AKRON, OHIO, AWARDS $34,000 IN GRANTS TO LGBTQ CAUSES: Thirteen local LGBTQ causes and organizations will benefit from the grants. More from Gay Star News.

ANTI-LGBTQ CRIME IN RUSSIA DOUBLES IN FIVE YEARS: Research by the Center for Independent Social Research cites the country’s anti-LGBTQ “propaganda” law as one reason for the disturbing numbers. More from Reuters.

• Earlier this month, two LGBTQ advocates were attacked outside of a conference in Moscow. Local police have yet to open an investigation. More from Human Rights Watch.

“IT’S JUST THE START” — TURKISH LGBTQ ADVOCATES FEAR GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN: Concerns have intensified since the governor of Ankara, the capital city, announced an indefinite ban all LGBTQ film screenings, panels and exhibitions and other public events. More from The Guardian.

• A Turkish district governorship in Istanbul last week banned a LGBTQ film screening event. More from Reuters.

.@HRC urges the governor of Ankara, Turkey to immediately lift this discriminatory ban on events hosted by #LGBTQ-rights groups. t.co/5oJm2YYgBg

— HumanRightsCampaign (@HRC) November 26, 2017

READING RAINBOW

Sports Illustrated reports that Huddersfield Town defender Mathias Jørgensen wore rainbow laces during a game this weekend to support LGBTQ equality; The Associated Press notes that Laurel Hubbard will be the first openly transgender athlete to be represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games;

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-november-27-2017?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

Melania Trump Didn’t Want First Lady Job ‘Come Hell or High Water’ – REPORT

A new report in Vanity Fair describes Melania Trump’s role in the decision her husband made to run for president, saying – as many suspected – that she had no desire to be first lady.

VF’s Sarah Ellison reports:

There may never have been a First Lady less prepared for or suited to the role. “This isn’t something she wanted and it isn’t something he ever thought he’d win,” one longtime friend of the Trumps’ told me. “She didn’t want this come hell or high water. I don’t think she thought it was going to happen.”

But she was instrumental in pushing him toward running, VF also reports:

…it was in part Melania’s impatience with her husband’s dithering that helped push Trump to declare his candidacy. “She knew it was in his blood,” Stone said. “He always wanted to run. She is the one who pushed him to run just by saying run or do not run. I don’t think she was ever too crazy about it.” She knew her husband wanted to run for president. And she knew that, if he didn’t, he was likely to be knocking around their gilded triplex in Trump Tower, muttering about how he should have done so. “She said, ‘It’s not my thing. It’s Donald’s thing,’ ” according to Stone. “And I think she understood he was going to be unhappy if he didn’t run.”

She didn’t want him at home, so we got him.

The post Melania Trump Didn’t Want First Lady Job ‘Come Hell or High Water’ – REPORT appeared first on Towleroad.

Melania Trump Didn’t Want First Lady Job ‘Come Hell or High Water’ – REPORT

16 Times Trump Deflected Controversy to Hillary Clinton

www.advocate.com/politics/2017/11/27/16-times-trump-deflected-controversy-hillary-clinton

Morrissey Says Kevin Spacey’s Sexual Assaults Were Perhaps a ‘Pathetic Attempt at Courtship’

Morrissey was asked by London’s Sunday Times to clarify his statement defending Kevin Spacey. Said Morrissey earlier this month to German publication Der Spiegel:

“As far as I know, he was in a bedroom with a 14-year-old. Kevin Spacey was 26 and boy 14 was wondering where the boy’s parents were. One wonders if the boy did not know what could happen. I do not know about you, but I’ve never been in situations like this in my youth. Never. I always knew what could happen. When you are in somebody’s bedroom, you have to be aware of where that can lead to. That’s why it does not sound very credible to me. It seems to me Spacey has been unnecessarily attacked.”

The former Smiths frontman told The Sunday Times:

“You must be careful as far as ‘sexual harassment’ is concerned because often it can be just a pathetic attempt at courtship. I’m sure it’s horrific, but we have to keep everything in proportion. Do you not agree? I have never been sexually harassed, I might add.”

The post Morrissey Says Kevin Spacey’s Sexual Assaults Were Perhaps a ‘Pathetic Attempt at Courtship’ appeared first on Towleroad.

Morrissey Says Kevin Spacey’s Sexual Assaults Were Perhaps a ‘Pathetic Attempt at Courtship’

The Media Habits Of Millennials, Generation Z, And The Rest Of Us: In Five Key Charts

Trend-watchers typically pay close attention to the media and tech habits of Millennials (people aged 20-33) and Generation Z (those aged 14-19). Where these audiences go, others tend to follow.

Recent studies from Deloitte, GlobalWebIndex and others, offer us fresh insights into the behaviours and preferences of this tech-savvy audience. Based on their research, here are five global trends worth noting.

1. We’re all social networkers now

“Globally,” GlobalWebIndex reported, “around 1 in every 3 minutes spent online is devoted to social networking and messaging, with digital consumers engaging for a daily average of over 2 hours (rising to 2 hrs 40 mins among 16-24s).”

These findings, based on a survey of over 50,000 internet users from around the world, reveals the near ubiquitousness of the social experience; 94% of online users have at least one social media account.

“The average internet users now has about 8 social accounts,” GWI found, “up from only 3 in 2012.”

That we tend to have more social media accounts – – as well as efforts to increase the stickiness of the social experience – is clearly one reason for a growth in the time spent on social networks.

However, the data also reflects that social networks are changing our media habits too.

Interestingly, “filling up spare time” was identified as the leading reasons for social media usage among 16-24s, a role in the past that might have been taken-up by TV. This highlights how quickly social networks have become the default media activity for younger audiences.

2. Instagram is now bigger than Twitter

The visual social network now enjoys a larger reach than Twitter, GlobalWebIndex reports, with Instagram also comfortably trumping its older rival in the key 16-34 age group.

With Facebook, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp all continuing to enjoy high levels of daily usage around the globe, Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook owns both Instagram and WhatsApp) can rest relatively easy at night.

That said, Snapchat is the most popular messaging app with Gen Z in the US, a finding which no doubt continues to influence the increasingly Snap-like functionality that we are seeing across many of Facebook’s mobile products.

Applications, like face filters on Facebook Messenger and the launch of Facebook Stories, show just how influential Snapchat has been on shaping Facebook’s evolution.

3. Watching video online is now pretty standard

Among all internet users (aged 16-64), 92% watch video clips online each month, GWI revealed, with just under half watching live TV, online TV/movies, and 53% watching sports online.

This pastime is bigger than usage of online radio (46%) and podcasting (36%), although both of these activities lag behind online gaming (undertaken by 63% of internet users in the last month) and music streaming (62%).

Viewing of TV online is even more popular with younger demographics. According to GWI’s global sample, 71% of 16-24s – and 73% of 25-34s – have done this in the past month, as traditional TV habits become increasingly redundant.

4. Gen Z has quickly become the Netflix generation

In North America, 70% of Generation Z (those aged 14-19) watches Netflix each month, GWI observed, and worldwide, 25% of all Gen Z watches Netlifx. This compares against a global average, for all age groups, of 1 in 4.

Because of this, it’s no surprise that Gen Zers watch more online TV than other demographics, averaging 1 hour 11 minutes a day.

But, traditional TV viewing amongst this cohort isn’t dead yet. They still watch 20 minutes more – 1 hour 31 mins – of traditional TV, in addition to their online TV habit.

5. Younger audiences love to binge

Love of on-demand services may also be one of the reasons why, Deloitte found, Gen Z and Millennials in the US are also more likely to be binge-watchers. Although it’s a habit that all age groups have embraced.

In the press release for their latest Digital Democracy Survey, Deloitte noted that 40 percent of millennial and Gen Z binge watchers do so weekly; and that Gen Z and millennials spend about half their time watching television shows and movies on devices other than a TV.

Meanwhile, the main report finds that this group averages a staggering 6 episodes – or 5 hours – of viewing in a typical binge-session.

This tendency to binge isn’t unique to the US. Research published in the summer by the UK communications regulator, Ofcom, found that c.10 million Britons, 32%, have lost sleep or are tired the next day due to staying up too late binge-watching TV.

Meanwhile, the decision to simulcast recent series of Game of Thrones (broadcast at 2am in the UK and 9pm, on the eastern seaboard of the States) no doubt led to some even more caffeinated Monday mornings for hardcore fans.

Winter is coming then for many traditional media players, as tech platforms increasingly reshape the media diets of all age groups. With on-demand video and use of social networks now part of our typical night’s watch, there isn’t a wall big enough to hold back their advancement.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-media-habits-of-millennials-generation-z-and-the-rest-of-us-in-five-key-charts_uk_5a149436e4b0815d3ce65ac5

We Remember: Harvey Milk, Assassinated 39 Years Ago

Today, HRC honors LGBTQ civil rights hero Harvey Milk.

Milk made history when he was elected to serve as San Francisco City Supervisor in 1977, becoming one of the first openly LGBTQ elected officials in the country. Less than a year into his term, on November 27, 1978, he was assassinated, along with Mayor George Moscone.

Despite his brief time in office, Milk’s contributions and influence live on in the work of activists and allies fighting for LGBTQ equality throughout the U.S. and around the world.

Milk’s legacy was evident earlier this month, as citizens mobilized in record numbers to turnout the vote, powering historic wins for pro-equality candidates. For the first time in U.S. history, more than a half a dozen openly transgender candidates were elected to public offices in states across the country — from Georgia to Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire to California.

Milk envisioned a place where all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, are treated equally. HRC, as well as countless other LGBTQ organizations, pro-equality lawmakers and supporters, share that vision and strive every day to make full equality a reality for millions of LGBTQ people.

“Hope will never be silent,” Milk famously stated.

The San Francisco HRC Action Center and Store is located in Milk’s former camera shop in the historic Castro District. In addition to keeping LGBTQ individuals and allies informed on national issues, the action center engages advocates to push leaders at all levels to support full equality for all.

Today, we honor Milk’s leadership, legacy, vision and sacrifice.

www.hrc.org/blog/we-remember-harvey-milk-assassinated-39-years-ago?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

3 Questions With Queer Rapper So Brown

The queer singer on gender, corruption, and the perks of ostracism.

www.advocate.com/current-issue/2017/11/27/3-questions-queer-rapper-so-brown